Monday, July 16, 2012

The moist air is thick and heavy. The city's asphalt streets sizzle. Another scorching hot day in Flint, Michigan. But this heat wave is just the beginning of 2012's second temperature surge. The first heat wave knocked out power systems across the Eastern U.S. and left thousands of temperature records along the waist-side. This summer has been one for the record books. But it has also awaken my core survival instincts. For the first time in my journey as a prepper, I realized that my priorities were not correctly aligned. For too long, I have endulged my fascination with firearms to the point that I have failed to see what represents the greatest threat in a crisis situation: dehydration.

In all likelihood, I will die of dehydration before I am forced into a gun fire. And since I already have six guns, how can I justify buying another one when my water preparation is so weak.

Although, I have 6 five gallon containers filled with tap water, four cases of bottled water, a Katadyn Water filter and several packs of purifying tablets, an honest assessment of my supplies would force me to conclude that this would not be enough for a family of three to survive on for very long. This summer of unbearable heat has forced me to re-examine how prepared I really am for a situation were I would have to produce my own clean water.

Let's keep in mind that many modern water systems rely on electric pumps to force water to millions of homes. If the electrical system is compromised, then millions of Americans may find themselves in a situation were they will have to boil, purify or filter their own water.

So I've decided to take action. A friend on youtube suggested I build a sand bio filter to remove germs from the water in the nearby creek. The concept is brillantly simple. You use fine sand in a 55 gallon barrel to filter viruses and harmfully substances from the water. But the top level of water serves as a natural bio system by using good bacteria to destroy bad bacteria.

It's a good idea, but it's not for me. Filling a 55 gallon barrel would be problematic for an urbanite such as myself, because it would be very difficult to move. So I've decided to invest in a Berkey Water system. It's light weight and it uses a carbon filter to remove virtually any harmful biological organism. I've also decided get some water containers that are not clear. The idea is to protect the water from the effects of sunlight. I'm also going to expand into trapping rainwater.

There's nothing wrong with owning a lot of guns, but if you don't have any water, your body will break down very fast. Water makes almost everything easier. You need water. I need water and more of it. In an emergency situation, I will need water to cook food, washing my body, stay hydrated, prevent infection and possibly keep someone's body temperature down. So I'll still buy another pistol this year, but not before I make sure I can filter hundreds of gallons of water.